ANTHRAX - FOR THE KINGS ALBUM REVIEW

 

Anthrax continue their resurgence with a career highlight 

By DerekB2323, January 5th, 2021

Written based on this version: 2016, CD, Nuclear Blast

For All Kings is one of Anthrax's best albums.

No qualifiers. No addendums. No bullshit. This is a classy, powerful release from a veteran band who, after a long drought, are experiencing a genuine career resurgence. For All Kings incorporates elements from their entire musical history into a perfectly balanced version of their sound, and the fact that it has some of their best songwriting only solidifies its place near the top of their catalog.

So what's so good about it? A few specific things, but also something general—the record has an intangibly large feeling. It feels big. It feels grandiose. It feels supremely confident, which is especially gratifying coming from Anthrax. After years of unsure releases in which they seemed to be trying to sound like other bands, it feels like Anthrax has rediscovered themselves. It feels like they've finally embraced who they are and their place in the history of metal. And that's a good thing, because few bands do this particular style as well as Anthrax.

For All Kings begins with a fury in "You Gotta Believe," a blistering thrasher in which we're treated to Scott Ian's tight riffing and Charlie Benante's driving rhythms. When these two lock in, it's thrash perfection. From there, the pace slows down a bit, but the songwriting is strong enough to maintain the momentum. The title track "For All Kings" is a gorgeous metal song, with escalating thrash riffs that build up to one of the biggest choruses Anthrax has ever written. "Breathing Lightning" comes in next as the clear "single" and centerpiece of the album. Often in thrash, the "single" just means "the boring money-grabbing song," but again, the songwriting here is good enough to more than carry the load. It's a perfectly catchy and classy kind of accessible metal single.

The second half of the record is where things get more interesting musically. "Suzerain" features a chugging riff that feels more "modern metal" than the rest of the record, but things storm back into more familiar territory with "Evil Twin." Anthrax's years of writing more melodic music really benefit their return to thrasher material, as they can apply those melodic sensibilities to that old thrash template. The result is songs like "Evil Twin" and the aforementioned "You Gotta Believe," vicious thrashers that include enormous hooks. It's a beautiful thing.

"Blood Eagle Wings" is a massive, sprawling song that explores a lot of different dynamics, and later, the album closes with a pair of gems. "This Battle Chose Us" features a huge chorus that's impossible to NOT sing at the top of your lungs, and "Zero Tolerance" closes things with some of the album's thrashiest riffs.

If you're able to sideline your nostalgia and judge it based on its merits, For All Kings easily tops records like State of Euphoria and Persistence of Time. No kidding. The songs are more memorable, the music is more ambitious, the performances are tighter and the skippable tracks that interrupted the flow of their earlier records are largely absent here. It's not quite at the level of Among the Living or Spreading the Disease, but For All Kings is shockingly good for a band this late in their career. Bravo, Anthrax, and congrats on taking back the throne.

Songs to check out: You Gotta Believe, For All Kings, Evil Twin

Track List  :

1. Impaled

2. You Gotta Believe

3. Monster at the End

4. For All Kings

5. Breathing Lightning

6. Breathing Out

7. Suzerain

8. Evil Twin

9. Blood Eagle Wings

10. Defend / Avenge

11. All of Them Thieves

12. This Battle Chose Us

13. Zero Tolerance

LIne Up  :

Scott Ian Guitars, Vocals (backing)

Charlie Benante Drums, Percussion, Guitars, Guitars (acoustic)

Frank Bello Bass, Vocals (backing)

Joey Belladonna Vocals

Jonathan Donais Guitars (lead), Vocals (backing)

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Anthrax  and Megaforce Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

  ANTHRAX - FOR THE KINGS  FULL ALBUM 

  ANTHRAX - FOR THE KINGS FULL ALBUM 

( Poor Quality Audio )